Midsommarfest takes place June 10-12
Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, and Andersonville is just one of the neighborhoods nestled on its north side. First established as a farming community in the 1850s, the retail district we know today began as an enclave of small businesses started by Swedish immigrants who moved north to escape the ravages of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
Today, Andersonville is notable for its quaint facades, its diverse population, and its preponderance of unique, locally owned businesses. Steeped in its Swedish roots and anchored by the Swedish American Museum, Andersonville has celebrated the traditional Swedish holiday of Midsommar in the form of Midsommarfest for more than 55 years. Midsommarfest is Andersonville’s signature festival, and one of the largest and oldest street fests in the city of Chicago.
This year Midsommarfest takes place June 10-12 on Clark from Foster to Catalpa. At a special ceremony at noon on Saturday, June 11 on the Swedish Stage (at Clark and Foster), crowns of summer flowers will don heads as celebrants dance and sing around the maypole.
Midsommarfest is a celebration of summer. It is also a celebration of community. Join us for five stages of music showcasing more than 50 artists, and shop among 100 vendors, including local merchants and artisans.
Donations are encouraged at the gates. Spend your weekend shopping and reaping the rewards of discounted beverages at our booths, and know that your dollars support Chamber programming throughout the year and more than 10 non-profit organizations.
New for Midsommarfest 2022 is our Flower Crown Portrait series featuring the unique and beautiful faces of Andersonville. As you take in each photo, you might be looking at a shopkeeper, an activist, a politician, a therapist, a woodworker, a professional, a bookseller, a comedian, a tavern owner, or an altruist who brings their unique identity and adds to the culture of Andersonville.
As we enter mid-June, we are excited to hear the buzz of Pride in the air throughout the community. It’s hard to not feel joy walking down Clark and noticing just how many LGBTQIA2+ businesses we have the honor of celebrating. Andersonville has been a safe haven for Chicago’s LGBTQIA2+ community since the early 90s, but while it’s easy to celebrate being one of the queerest areas of the city, we also want to acknowledge that not everyone feels safe in our neighborhood.
This Pride month (and every month), under the guidance of the Chamber’s DEI Committee, we continue the pursuit of becoming an organization that acknowledges our privilege and strives to be more equitable to our BIPOC partners and members. We strongly believe that Andersonville should be a place where everyone can feel proud of themselves, and a place where all can safely say “gay” every day.
This sponsored content is paid for by Andersonville Chamber of Commerce.
